The PAI Paragliding Festival 2012 was held in Bulbulay Dara in the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok. After the grand success of first Paragliding Festival in Maharashtra on 2011, Dept. of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Govt. of Sikkim decided to arrange the second one in association with Paragliding Association of India (PAI) and Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Co-operative Society Ltd (SPASCS). This festival was sponsored by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.

The elevated land and the hard-working determined people of Sikkim are perfect to execute Indian paragliding to the world. The high hills are proper places for launching a paraglide in Sikkim while the valleys and flat lands serve the purpose as a landing ground. PAI was extremely moved by the co-operation and cheerful responses from the mass people, state govt. and local pilots. They were very satisfied with their decision to hold one of the biggest festivals of paragliding in the exotic land of Sikkim.

Sikkim Paragliding Festival haunted numerous paragliding enthusiasts not only from the rest of the country but from all over the globe. This exclusive program offered different events related to paragliding such as Acro Show, Spot Landing Contest, Free Flying and Tandem Flights. It also contained seminars and cultural programs on paragliding for youth and students.

Nearly 60 paragliding pilots participated in this festival of paragliding in Sikkim and all of them are pilots of national and international level. More than 35 pilots from Sikkim participated in this program, among which 4 were participants in international level contest of flying paraglide.

Inauguration of Paragliding Festival of Sikkim occurred with the first jump from the cliff by Bhaichung Bhutiya, the enthusiastic former skipper of Indian football. He is an honorary member of PAI too.

image credit: sikkimparagliding.org

PAI started to plan the Paragliding Festival of India with a thought and belief that it will bring all the paraglide pilots community together, that they will enjoy, fly and get introduced to each other. The prime motto of Paragliding Festival 2012 in Sikkim were promoting and highlighting paragliding as an esteemed outdoor sport and presenting India as a paragliding zone to the world. Besides, cuisine, art and culture of local area or the state were promoted too along with flying events. People from the whole world witnessed the enriched cultural heritage of Sikkim, even of India. And above all, the organizers wanted to push enthusiasm into the local pilots for their bright future and the shining future of paragliding in India.

5. Nick Greece and Jon Hunt: Took off from Wilson, Wyoming, and flew for seven hours passing the Teton Range, the Gros Ventre Range, and the Wind River Range to culminate near Rawlins, Wyoming.

The incipient record, which broked the pair’s precedent record of 199 miles made just 3 days earlier, was an astounding 204.6 mile flight at speeds of up to 40mph and more than 18,000ft high for seven hours over some of the most remote terrain in America resulting in some outstandingly pulchritudinous photographs of the Red Desert and numerous mountain ranges across Wyoming.

image credit: xtremesport4u.com

6. Peggy McAlpine, 104, set about reclaiming her place in the record books as the oldest person to go paragliding after her record was snatched away by a 101-year-old American last year.

image credit: nydailynews.com

7. Nevil Hulett : During Nevil’s 502 kms flight, Nevil topped out at 5689m asl and made an average speed of 73.3 km/h and a maximum speed of 126.7 km/h over the ground

1. Hüseyin Burak Tuzer: optically discerns the sights everyday that holidaymakers customarily only dream of, paragliding along the coast of ‘paradise.’
The 28-year-old spends his days soaring in the firmaments above Fethiye and Oludeniz in Turkey and photographing the spectacular views – now, bringing a few fortuitous tourists in tow.
His ‘true love’ has led him to a role at Welkin Sports Paragliding, the oldest paragliding school in the country.

image credit: dailymail.co.uk

2..Tim Pentreath: These are the breath-taking panoramic shots taken by a paraglider soaring through the firmaments of Europe.Veteran glider Tim Pentreath, 50, from Bath in Somerset, has spent more than 24 years travelling the world taking stunning bird’s ocular perceiver shots of picturesque landscapes.
The photographer, who learnt to paraglide in 1990 in South Wales, has taken more than 2,000 images at 16 locations throughout Europe – and has even taken mid-flight ‘selfies’ by affixing his GoPro camera to an elongated pole

image credit : dailymail.co.uk

3. Lauren Newell: The astounding selfies were captured by Lauren Newell on holiday in Turkey, and they limpidly show the stunning scenery sparkling in the sunshine – a staggering 6,550 feet above the clear blue sea.The 20-year-old from Broseley, Shropshire, was on holiday with her boyfriend Mark Wigley, withal 20, when the daredevil duo decided to consummate the adventurous paraglide – the second highest in the world

image credit: mirror.co.uk

4. Peggy: Had a colourful life and her daughter Elizabeth Forsyth, 77, was caught up in the scandal circumventing the costly collapse of his Polly Peck business imperium as an employee of jailed tycoon Asil Nadir.Peggy, 100, gives a thumbs up as she paraglides off a 2,500ft mountain peak in Kyrenia, Cyprus,

image credit: dailymail.co.uk

5.Horacio Llorens: Horacio Llorens performs during the Paragliding World Cup Superfinal over the valley of Roldanillo, Colombia. While exhilarating, this isn’t proximately as perilous as the time he got disoriented in the ocean.

image credit: redbull.com

6. Veso Ovcharov: Veso Ovcharov sends us this selfie of his first sky dive over the North Shore of Oahu

8.Tom de Dorlodot: Tom de Dorlodot high over the islands of the South Pacific

image credit: redbull.com

9.Horacio Llorens: Paraglider Horacio Llorens takes an incredible selfie whilst upside down in the air over France

image credit:redbull.com

10. Spencer Spellman: The particular selfie was taken outside of the Louvre on our whirlwind trip through Europe, and additionally the first trip we took as an engaged couple.Spencer Spellman on the Hawaii island of Maui

Paragliding is a flying sport that is one of the most adventurous and thrilling sports. The flight in the open air without any motor makes you feel like a bird flying high in the sky. On the other hand, it is one of the most dangerous outdoor sports too. Great passion and proper training is required to fly at this height up in the sky. There are numerous places in the whole world where you can enjoy the ride and also have proper training about how to maintain all the tricks for paragliding.

1. Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique

If you want to enjoy the unspoiled version of nature and exquisite places to view while paragliding, you must visit the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. The place is a remote area as it is situated 750 km away from the mainland and untouched by modern civilization. The clean sea water and sandy beaches are ready to please your eyes.image credit: kiwicollection.com

2. Mont Blanc in France

French people are very much dedicated to adventurous sports like paragliding. And top paragliding sites can be seen here, of course. One of them is Mont Blanc, which is the highest peak in Europe at an altitude of 4440 meters. The whole surrounding region is perfect for launching and landing paraglide. The Chamonix Valley serves the purpose of landing ground.image credit: sipeachey.com

3. Wengen in Switzerland

Wengen is a village area in Switzerland that offers an opportunity for excellent view of mountain range and many more amazing sites. And watching them from up in the sky will be a lifetime achievement for you. Paragliding is one of the favorite activities to explore the UNESCO protected place.image credit: myswitzerland.com

4. Bir Billing in India

Bir-Billing is very popular paragliding spot with launching destination at 2400 m height on Dhauladhar Ranges in Himachal Pradesh. The village of Bir Billing is used as the landing ground. The outstanding view of Dhauladhar hills and Kangra Valley and the green meadow haunts the champion paragliders from the whole world.image credit: indianholiday.com

5. Castelluccio in Italy

Castellucio is a little village of Italy in the Appenine Mountains, located at a height of around 1400 meters. It is mostly known for its colorful valley as the colorful flowers bloom in spring and summer. And no doubt, a paragliding flight experience over this valley will be unforgettable.image credit: placestoseeinyourlifetime.com

6. Tegelberg in Germany

Tegelberg is a small place in Germany where the facilities of paragliding flight is provided. The vast greenery underneath gives you awesome experience of flight. There is a castle nearby named Neuschwanstein Castle. Flying over that castle will definitely remind you the fairy tale castle of ‘Peter Pan’.image credit: 123rf.com

7. Babadag in Turkey

This is a popular holiday destination in Turkey. People from all around the come here not only for sightseeing, but also to have an experience of paraglide flight and they return with full satisfaction. Most of the days stay suitable for flight sports. You get to fly over the Oludeniz lagoon and land on a magnificent beach which is one of the 5 most popular and beautiful beaches in the world.image credit: paraglidingmap.com

8. Danyang in South Korea

People who have the enthusiasm for flight sports must never miss to go to this place. It is naturally a heaven for paraglide pilots. With a popular town suitable for tourists, this area is under exquisite natural surroundings. The marvelous mountain ranges of Mt. Yangbangsan and Mt. Dusan, wide open valley surely makes it a paradise for the paragliding lovers.

Paragliding experts who are passionate about this kind of sports or the tourists and travelers who rush from all around the world to these places, offering plenty of magnetic landscape view of hills and mountains, water bodies, plateaus, flat lands, valleys, vast grasslands –every kind of landforms. And seeing those adorable scenes from up in the sky while floating in the air are a lifetime opportunity.image credit: youtube.com

Sports like paragliding seem to be very adventurous and heart throbbing, of course, but are dangerous too on the other hand if done without proper training. There are dozens of training centers in India for those who feel enthusiastic about this kind of sport. And talking about paragliding centers, a handful number of training institutes and skilled, experienced, professional paraglide pilots are there to teach you all the tricks of learning how to have a smooth enjoyable flight.

1 Eric Menezes

Eirc Menezes is the Chief Paragliding Instructor in the Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors- Powered Paragliding. In his lifetime, he has done 4000 paragliding. As a pioneer of paragliding in India, he established a paragliding school in Pune. Besides flying, he is also a specialist to click photographs in the air.

2. Debu Choudhury

Born and grew up in Manali, Debu Choudhury started paraglide flight in the age of 14. He has explored Manali through paragliding like his own playground, and thus he knows the place very well. He found many areas here, suitable for paragliding. Debu Choudhury won the national championship several times and also is a world-class pilot participating world cup two times.

3. Anita Malik

Since her childhood, Anita had a strong enthusiasm for adventurous things and gradually taken by the sport of paragliding. Following her father who was a captain of merchant navy, she has been showing her love for outdoor sports and travel throughout her whole life. Today, she is the powerhouse behind the success of institute like Temple Pilots in India.

4. Avi Malik

Avi Malik has simply a bird born in human shape. He has made the skies his home. His passion for paraglide flight has been burning from his days in sports school. He was awarded with the prestigious Presidents Gold Medal and IAF regarded him as a fighter pilot. He gives the best effort to teach his students just like he learnt. Avi Malik is now the Master Instructor of APPI-PPG and the Chief Flying Instructor in Temple Pilot. Interesting fact to add, he is wedded to Anita Malik as the found their love searching the love for flying.

5. Mangesh Dighe

With sixteen years of experience of flying paraglide and paramotor, Mangesh Dighe has completed more than 6500 flights in his lifetime till now. Known as a cross country and tandem pilot, he owns International license of sporting and instructing paramotor. He has record of doing 3000 tandem flights. He also participated in Pre-World Cup of Paragliding.

6. Rhone Menezes

Not a lot of teenagers start paragliding at the age of 13 or complete the basic of paragliding at the age of 17. Rhone Menezes has successfully made this possible and now considered to be the youngest powered paraglide instructor in India. Besides, he has expertise in monster trike flying, tandem flying, ridge soaring, cross country flying etc. and now he is ready to spread his knowledge about those amongst the enthusiasts.

7. Gurpreet Dhindsa

One of India’s best paragliders, Gurpreet Dhindsa, seems to step on ground very often. There is no paragliding destination in India that he hasn’t taken a flight. He is so obsessed with this sport that the great personality of quietness and solidity donates 80% of his salary, coming from teaching flights, to fund for international competitions. He hopes the next generation to take the spot him and his co-pilots has made in paragliding world.

The paraglide experts in our country has done a great job in flights and made a rank for India in the world. Thrill with unpredicted risk make something adventurous. Paragliding is filled with such kind of qualities. And the daredevil paraglide pilots of India are full of courage and ability who handles this sport with such an ease.

The best talents across the world will show their passion and talents for the Paragliding World Cup, 2015 at Bir Billing in the kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. It is known as the Paragliding capital of India, Bir is sheltered by the mountains and surrounded by tea gardens and has an area of about 200 kms which is best for flying. Out of the many India paragliding destinations, kangra valley in Bir is considered as one of the best, recognized and admired by many of the best known pilots and paragliding enthusiasts all over the world, the main objective being the promotion of aero sports in India.

How to Reach Bir:

One can reach Bir either through Air, Rail or Road from Delhi, the Capital of India.

Through Rail:

There are two ways of reaching the destination. Take a train from Delhi (any station) to Pathankot, from this place you can either travel through train, bus or taxi. A slow speed toy train runs from Pathankot to Ahju (3 kms from Bir) every morning, or you can directly hire a taxi for Bir (which usually takes 5 hours), or take a bus (takes approximately 6-7 hours).

By Road:

The distance between Delhi and Bir is about 12-14 hrs by bus, you can get any deluxe bus from ISBT running towards Dharmashala or Manali. If you take the dharamshala bus you can deboard at Kanghra (about 70 kms from Bir) or deboard at Mandi if you take the Manali Bus, from either of the two stops you can travel to Bir by a local bus or a Taxi.

By Air:

you can fly to dharamshala (a town in gagal), from where you can reach Bir by a taxi.

Paragliding World Cup for the first time in India: 23rd -30th October

“The land of gods”, Himachal Pradesh is all set to host the event for the first time starting from 23rd till 30th October, as the time between September-November is considered the most suitable for paragliding at Bir apart from March-May. Around 140 Paragliders apart from many free flying pilots from over 50 Countries will participate in the event; including the World’s top 5 Paragliders. It will be organized by the Billing Paragliding Association (BPA), sponsored by the great organization of India i.e. Airport Authority of India (AAI). The event will have a huge Impact on the Sports and the tourism of the Country as many Identities from sportsperson to pilots will be present during the event, The 2013 pre-World cup organized by BPA got a great response from everyone, because of the art of providing excellent facilities such as infrastructure, risk management system etc, this in turn opened their way for the 2015 World Cup, decided by the Federation Aeronatique Internationale, the body governing the World Air Sports and the Paragliding World Cup Association, hence the BPA department has undertaken full measures this year, to excel in terms of everything, to provide an excellent take-off and landing ground, risk management systems such as to provide risk and trauma vans in case of any emergency, an automatic tracking system with each of the paragliders to track their movement and position for rescue and safety operation in case of any emergency. These measures are being taken to meet the International Standards and satisfy every Participant in every respect, which in turn will boost the overall development and awareness of Paragliding in India.

Report from the “The Hindu”

According to the Hindu times report, Mr. Sudhir Sharma, chairman of “Billing Paragliding Association” and also the Urban Development Minister, said that different kinds of activities like air shows, hot balloons would also be Included to add attraction to the event, all the construction activities to be banned near the takeoff and landing sites.

The event would involve fly around a decided course crossing multiple check points, the person who finishes the task first is the winner or if none of the paragliders reach, the one which is the furthest away wins. After the competition the best participants would compete in the PWC (Paragliding World Cup) Super final, where the winner would be decided and then declared.

Other enjoyments at Bir: Camping, Fishing, Trekking, Monasteries

Apart from paragliding, Bir is also famous for Camping, fishing and trekking and has a Tibetan colony which was built after Dalai Lama was granted asylum in Dharamsala, the colony is involved in making/producing authentic handicrafts and has beautiful monasteries which serves as a place of attraction for the paragliders and other adventure enthusiasts, it also serves as the starting point for the trek routes such as the Manali and chamba, Since it is located on the edge of the forests, which provides house to numerous vegetations.

The Organizer of the World Cup i.e. BPA also provides many services apart from paragliding such as Tour and Trekking Packages, hostel accommodation as well as services such as medical facilities.

Overall, Paragliding is gaining popularity day by day all over the world and yet to become the greatest.

Every people in their lives have at least once thought for a while looking at the sky “I wish I could fly like a bird”. These are the moments that everyone wants to experience. Is it possible for Human beings to fly? The answer is yes..! If you are thinking what it could be, it is paragliding. It lets you feel like a bird soaring high up in the sky, one of the most popular adventurous sports of flying in India, paragliding in India is mostly done by the tourists who come for vacation and the students.

One form of paragliding is the Powered paragliding, also known as Para-motoring, which involves flying of light weight aircraft in which the pilot wears a motor known as paramotor which weighs between 20 to 40kg) on the back which provides the required lift to take off using a paraglider without any assistance, and usually flies with a speed of (25-75) km/hr, therefore powered paragliding India has gained a lot of attention and popularity among the citizens in the recent years.

It is used by militants though to a limited extent, it is also used by the civilians during spring when the lakes are covered ice flakes as walking and diving becomes Impossible. Though Powered Paragliding provides a great fun, considered safer compared to riding vehicles’, It is important to know the various safety measures such as avoiding body contact with the spring propeller, flying within the landing area etc. Not only is India paragliding a leisure activity but also a great sport and it also provides us with various health benefits such as it Increases the overall strength of the arms as you hold the parachute while flying, the level of energy and excitement Increases due to the adrenaline rush while flying high up in the sky, and many more.

Top powered Paragliding Destinations in India.

Here are some of the top powered paragliding destinations in India are:

1. Powered Paragliding in Pune

In the case of a discussion about top powered paragliding destinations in India Pune will be always come on the top. Among the several powered paragliding service providers in PuneWings and Flights is a famous name. They provide various services such as Joy ride in which they use large glider designed to carry two persons i.e. the pilot and the passenger. The pilot behind the passenger shows you around once in the sky, but one has to sign an indemnity bond before taking the ride. The cost of the ride is Rs.2500 per head, Apart from this it also provides various courses on paragliding.

2. Powered Paragliding in Mumbai

Mumbai is also a famous place for powered paragliding in India. Among the several powered paragliding service providers in Mumbai Space Apple is always a famous name. This organization provides trainings for paragliding and paramotoring. The team consists of experienced trainers. They use extensive theory as well as video sessions to help out with the trainings. The course ranges from basic to the advanced level.

3. Powered Paragliding in Gurgaon

Gurgaon is also a well-known destination for powered paragliding in india. Flyboy is one of the best known company here in Gurgaon for powered paragliding, known for delivering many unique services from several years in Gurgaon. Such as Floral shower Services with the help of paramotor, colorful banners up in the sky known as Sky Ads, Aerial Photography, Air safari to explore places using paramotor etc.

4. Powered Paragliding in Noida

Located in the city of lakes Bhopal, they deal with Para toys and Para gliders, with a mission to spread all over India, They also provides services such as Joy Riding and training for Paramotoring.

Address:
Located in the city of lakes Bhopal
Sector–63, Near H-Block Power House,
Noida (UP)-20130
+91-7024911668

5. Powered Paragliding in Kamshet, Mumbai- Pune expressway

One of the well known professional paragliding school based in Kamshet, near Lonavala a well known tourist spot in India, It provides services such as Tandem Paraglider, which is a fly accompanied by a pilot.

Paragliding is an extremely adventurous sport and recreational activity which can be done for the fun of it or as a serious competitive sport. If you love the adrenaline rush of flying high, it is a must try sport for you. Before starting this adventurous activity, you need to know some basic things about the sport and its requirements.

Since it is an activity which requires professional training, you need to choose a reputed academy or paragliding company for learning the sport. Given below are few important checklist points to consider before you start your coaching:

Fitness requirement

Since the training classes offered are not very strenuous, practically every normal person can go for it. Normally it doesn’t require any extra physical strength or stamina, and it requires almost the similar effort needed for cycling or driving. It is sport which is more of skill than strength, and you need to have a clear mind to understand, than a strong physical body.

Criteria to choose the right coaching class

It is ideal to search for a school with a good reputation and client base which is equipped with professionally qualified and licensed trainers. It is also significant to know the exact hours of coaching and the possibility of extra hours provided or not. Before joining, it is important to ensure the ongoing coaching provided there and flying options offered for trained pilots.

Choose the best Equipment

Selecting the best and safe paragliding equipment is undoubtedly one of the top priority while doing this sport. A paragliding school that offers safe and efficient gear without promoting any particular brand is advisable. Besides, you can also research about discounted student rates for gliding equipment with your coaching institute.

Your approach to paragliding depends on factors like, whether you intend to do paragliding as a recreational or vacation activity or you intend to become an airtime pilot. If your intention is to improve your elementary flying skills, there is no point in joining a class that offers cross country flying. It is essential to understand the meaning of each course that is offered and what it intends to do. You can browse through websites of paragliding agencies to understand their way of coaching, number of practice hours and the places they cover. Paragliding is one of those rare activities that can give you a whole new perception of things around, each time you fly.

Paragliding is a popular recreational and competitive sport that attracts millions of enthusiasts worldwide. It is not simply a leisure activity during your vacation, but it is a well-known sport, which offers a wide range of health benefits as well. Here are some important health benefits of Paragliding.

1. Maintains Body Balance

Paragliding involves many muscles of your body including central positioning muscles of pelvis and trunk and the thigh abductor muscles. This activity demands activity of all center muscles of the body, and thus strengthens these muscles by providing more control and reducing chances of muscle injuries while exercising.

2. Release of the hormone Adrenaline

Many people are unaware that adrenaline is essential for your overall health and is a great survival device. While doing paragliding, the very activity of flying along sky can give you a sense of actuality on top of the world and this boosts adrenaline flow through your body. It also provides an ultimate feeling of excitement with a flow of high spirits as a result of your body’s response to the adrenaline high. You become more energetic with a much clearer sense of perspective ab out things around.

3. Burns Calories

As per studies by experts you can burn approximately 230 calories per hour in a normal paragliding session. Due to the high adrenaline rush you experience during this activity, it is considered as an immensely energy burning activity.

4. Improves upper body strength

In paragliding, you need to control the parachute using your arms which in turn improves the arm strength. Improved upper body strength can help you with increased mobility, suppleness and ease of motion. If your upper body strength is not up to the mark, you may tend to get injured easily and diseased, which may spoil your quality of life.

5. Stress Release

Paragliding is considered as an excellent stress relief as you tend to forget all your sorrows and tensions while you do this activity. Here you need to singularly focus on what you are doing and this deep sense of focus and adrenaline high helps you get out of other things and cleansed.

6. Overall health Boost

It gives an instant boost to your overall health by providing sunlight and fresh air aplenty and being exposed to nature enhances your body’s immune system as well.

Aero sports activities are considered the most exciting and thrilling outdoor sports and it has gained immense popularity in India. These are the activities for those who love the rush of adrenaline and the exciting thrill of adventure. India has some excellent locations and brilliant coaching places for the various aero sports activities.

Paragliding

Paragliding is an extremely popular fun flying spot which offers a thrilling and safe flying experience in its basic form. However, there are two modes of paragliding available as single and tandem. In tandem, a person can enjoy the thrill of flying without actually learning it. Many flying clubs and paragliding schools in India offer diverse options in paragliding as well as other aero sports. Coaching schools are available both in hilly areas and coastal areas like Goa and Sanasar in Jammu is the major centre for paragliding in India.

Hang Gliding

Open sky hang gliding is another one of the most adventurous aero sports activities. This gives an opportunity to literally fly like a bird from the mountain heights to coastal regions and it is affordable sports for someone who desires to fly high. Dhramakot in Himachal Pradesh and Kangra Valley are the major destinations in India for hang gliding locations.

Sky Diving

Sky diving also known as parachute jumping is considered as the most adventurous of aero sports. This activity involves jumping off from an aircraft or a tall structure and coming back to ground. Although India has limited options of this sport, Gujarat is in the process of developing some locations and Indian Parachuting Dederation organises some sky diving events.

Para Motoring

Para Motoring is one of the most popular aero sports activities in Inia, which is also known as motored paragliding. It consists of a light weight engine of two strokes and a pusher prop tied firmly on your back. It provides ultimate thrill while you fly over local villages, jungles, mountains and rivers.

Hot Air Ballooning

Hot air ballooning is an ideal sports to enjoy the mighty heights of the sky. Although it is yet not fully developed in India, there are few places like Rajasthan, where it is popularly conducted during Pushakar Camel Fair. It gives the thrill of discovering new heights in sky and also a bird’s eye view of the land beneath.

Aerobatics and Gliding are other aero sports activities which are not as popular in India like the other aero sports activities.